In October our environmental reading group reviewed a summary of the new Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report — its sixth report to the world. It is dense, full of math and acronyms for the complicated research. It is frightening and convincing.
One of the most impressive things about this report is the care taken with the data and methodology. Scientists developed a rigorous ranking of the degree of certainty for each prediction — a testimony to how much they want to get this right. There is, however, very little solace to be gained from their careful calibration. The situation is dire.
Under the five scenarios presented, only two offer a chance of living a familiar life on the planet for plants, animals, people or insects. The opportunity for action on one option has already passed. We have less than 10 years to prevent warming to 2 degrees which would compound the fires, rains, storms and sea rise far beyond today. Unless we commit to significant, even drastic, efforts by 2030 we cannot escape these consequences. If we fail to act, the current trajectory leads to three or four degrees of warming with inconceivable results.
In the shadow of the IPCC report, numerous other alarms were sounded in the past few weeks. First Street Foundation just issued information predicting that 25% of our civic “critical infrastructure” (police stations, fire houses, hospitals, schools, airports, water and wastewater systems, power systems) will be inoperable due to flooding caused by global warming within in 30 years.
According to their research, 2 million miles of our roads will become “impassable;” 12.4 million residences are under threat. Hundreds of doctors have signed on to a declaration that global warming is a massive threat to health worldwide. Our own military issued a study calling climate change a significant threat to national security.
How do we even think straight under this avalanche of information? We have to act both in our individual lives and as citizens of a nation. We will return to individual actions soon; but given the headlines about our government, it’s time to focus on our role as citizens. Tell your elected officials at all levels that you care. And you want action.
Right now, our national will to act is doubtful. Thankfully Joe Biden gets the urgency and sees how action on climate also meets the national need for jobs. But Congress is full of deniers or those who hide behind the “cost” required. They are ignoring the cost of inaction. Powerful corporations like Apple and Disney say they want to halt global warming while they are fund efforts to lobby against change and spread disinformation. The lure of short-term profits and power outweighs even personal, corporate and societal survival. How bizarre!
As if it’s not bad enough to have near total stone-walling from Republicans, two Democrats block the doorway to the future. Joe Manchin, protecting the coal industry from which he earns some $500,000 a year, is working to scuttle climate action and make huge reductions in the national investment to save our lives. Kyrsten Sinema, for unknown reasons (notoriety and attention?), is singing along with Manchin. So it’s up to us to make our needs and desires known, loudly and forcefully at every level.
Local: Shift heating and cooling to heat pumps; add solar capacity (not on forest or farmland sites) and electrical storage; shift town vehicles toward electric, even heavy trucks; commit to retrofitting all town buildings to reduce energy use; shift from gas or propane appliances to electric; install LED lighting including street lights; do energy audits on all town functions. These investments may seem steep, but they will save costs in the longer run and could save our lives! This is a time to take out a mortgage for our future — pay now to secure a livable planet tomorrow.
State: Urge your elected officials to insure state funding for both municipalities and households to invest in insulation, efficiency, energy storage, electric vehicles and solar generation. The legislature enacted strong legislation recently, over the governor’s veto, but now details matter. Make sure your town and household get the technical and financial resources to make this transition.
Federal: Challenge our senators and reps to get both the infrastructure bill and the relief act into operation. Insist we have the resources and regulations needed for serious change. While you’re at it, give Manchin and Sinema a piece of your minds. Headlines say “Code Red” on climate. Let’s declare “Code Green” and get going!
Judy Wagner lives in Northfield.